A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Jinghong vs. Nara for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Jinghong or Nara?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Jinghong and Nara can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Jinghong or Nara?

Jinghong

Located in the southernmost part of the Yunnan Province, Jinghong is a city that attracts visitors each year with its rich culture and folklore, Buddhist temples, and tropical rainforest scenery of palms and mango trees amongst others. It is also an area popular with backpackers as well as a waypoint for travelers passing between China and Laos.

Nara

As Japan's first capital, Nara offers a world of tradition and culture second only to the city of Kyoto. It is home to eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which are largely concentrated in the area of Nara Park. Here, it is also common to see many deer wandering freely amongst the temples and shrines.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Beijing, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Lhasa, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Japan, and The Best Cultural Tours in Japan.


Which place is cheaper, Nara or Jinghong?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Jinghong is $83, while the average daily cost in Nara is $111. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Jinghong and Nara in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Jinghong $20
    Nara $54
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Jinghong $40
    Nara $108
Compare Hotels in Jinghong and Nara

Looking for a hotel in Jinghong or Nara? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Jinghong


Hotels in Nara


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Nara Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Jinghong $25
    Nara $6.04

Is it cheaper to fly into Jinghong or Nara?

Prices for flights to both Nara and Jinghong change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Jinghong $48
    Nara $51

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Nara

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Nara.

  • Handmade Soba and Tempura Cooking Class in Nara: $49
  • Udon and Tempura Cooking Class in Nara: $52
  • Nara Personalized Half Day Food Tour with a Local Guide: $160
  • Taste of Nara A Guided Half Day Food Tour Tailored to Your Taste: $160
  • Full Day Nara E bike Tour and Osaka History Food Tour: $200

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Jinghong $9.31
    Nara $8.09

Tours and Activities in Jinghong

Here are a few actual costs in Jinghong for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Best of Dai Villages | 20km E-Bike Tour: $41

Tours and Activities in Nara

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Nara are as follows:

  • Gripped Sumi Ink Experience at a Historic Workshop in Nara: $23
  • Naramachi walking tour with Local: $31
  • Nara Highlight Walking Tour with Furoshiki Experience with Lunch: $35
  • All must-sees in 3 hours - Nara Park Classic Tour! From JR Nara!: $45
  • Perfect Nara Park Half-Day Bus Tour with English Speaking Guide: $69
  • Uji Tea Ceremony and UNESCO Heritage Walking Tour: $70
  • Kyoto: Tea Museum and Tsuen Teahouse Guided Tour: $74
  • Nara - Highlights Bike Tour: $76
  • Nara Early Morning Tour (Kyoto or Osaka Departure Available): $79
  • First Time Nara Tour UNESCO Sites with Lunch and Deer Feed: $83
  • Nara Todaiji Lazy Bird Walking Tour: $92
  • Nara World Heritage PRIVATE TOUR: $102

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Jinghong $5.41
    Nara $12


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Jinghong and Nara, we can see that Nara is more expensive. And not only is Jinghong much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Jinghong would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Jinghong and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Nara would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Nara than you might in Jinghong.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Jinghong Expensive? and Is Nara Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Jinghong or Nara?

Nara has a larger population, and is about 6 times larger than the population of Jinghong. When comparing the sizes of Jinghong and Nara, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.